Apply for funding

Do you have a cancer trial proposal that meets our 5 core criteria?
If so, don’t hesitate to apply for funding.

Our funding

Our foundation supports clinical investigators in multiple ways that may include financial support if your trial meets our criteria and has high scientific merit. We accept co-funding, and can financially support any trial phase.

We currently have a Call for Research Proposals open for clinical trials focusing on therapy optimization and drug repurposing. The Anticancer Fund has joined forces with the Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research, a Swiss-based non-profit organization, for this Call for Research Proposals. We call upon all investigators to submit proposals where funding is required to initiate a new arm of an existing multi-arm trial.

In 2019, the Anticancer Fund has launched a request for application (RFA) to support clinical trials aiming at reducing recurrence rate. This was the first one since 2013 and you can read more about this RFA here.

Aside from the RFA, we do accept spontaneous applications that fully meets our 5 core criteria for funding. For these, we run ad-hoc scientific evaluations.

Our core criteria for funding

Patient-centred

Industry is not interested

Either the intervention is off-patent or non-patentable, and no company is interested in developing and commercialising it in this specific indication.

Or the commercial owner of the intervention (marketing authorisation holder for drugs) is not willing to provide full funding for the trial.

In both cases, the lack of interest from companies must be justified by the applicant and confirmed by company for on-patent products.

Improving cure rate or survival

The ultimate goal of the intervention is to improve cure rate or survival, although not necessarily in the proposed trial.

Limited risk of trial execution failure

The leading clinical trial team has a track record of high-quality trials – preferentially investigator-driven trials – in the field relevant to the application.

All interventional products should be available or production should be organised.

Low competition

When multiple trials are running in the same cancer and setting, rapid changes in the treatment algorithm and fierce competition for patients may occur. This increases the risk that the trial becomes irrelevant. Fierce competition impedes accrual in non-commercial trials. We want to limit the risk of facing these issues as much as we can.

Authorised and/or upcoming interventions in the specific cancer type and setting are limited.

Patient participation in the proposed trial will not be impeded by other ongoing trials in the same cancer type and setting.

Our principles

Come as you are
We have no prejudices. Anyone can apply, regardless of background or country.

Clinical development cannot be left to commercial companies
We acknowledge the work of companies in bringing new therapeutic options to cancer patients. But we can do better if we work together as a society to bring to patients those new therapeutic options that lack the commercial incentives that companies need to develop them further.

Promoting collaboration, avoiding competition
We encourage everyone to share ideas, problems and solutions. No researcher will succeed alone. All partners must join efforts to make a trial pragmatic, well-executed and scientifically valid.

Impact and access
We keep clinical use in mind right from the start. Trials should impact patients, not further future research. We offer strategic input to maximise impact and ensure treatment access to patients.

Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.

Helen Keller, American author, political activist, and lecturer

Our evaluation process

Every trial will be evaluated and then selected according to the same roadmap.
For the project selection:

1. An internal evaluation is performed by the ACF clinical research team. We will check:

If the 5 core criteria are met.

If the scientific rationale is sound and if contradictory data exist.

The level of competition in terms of trials and interventions in the proposed cancer and setting (horizon scanning).

If the budget requested is reasonable and reports other sources of funding already available.

2. If your project meets all aspects above, it is then evaluated by two external reviewers, who are specialist in the cancer concerned by the proposal, and by one patient representative.

3. Trials that are deemed excellent are then presented to our Board. In parallel, a feasibility assessment is performed.

4. The official and final decision will be made by the Board, mainly based on two questions:

Does the trial fit within our current strategy?

Do we have enough budget to support the trial?

Even if we decide not to fund your trial, our feedback may increase your chances of receiving funding elsewhere. In addition, we can provide a list of other funding opportunities you may not be aware of.

How to apply?

In order to assess quickly whether your clinical trial would qualify for funding, we would need: